Seattle mayor resigns in wake of new sexual abuse allegations

Sept. 12 (UPI) -- The mayor of Seattle, Ed Murray, has announced his resignation, amid allegations of child sex-abuse.

Murray's resignation, which will become official on Wednesday at 5 p.m. PDT, came just hours after The Seattle Times published an interview with a younger cousin who alleged Murray sexually abused him as a teenager in the 1970s.

Joseph Dyer, 54, said his cousin forced him to have sex with him when the two shared a room in Dyer's mother's house in Medford, N.Y., on Long Island. Dyer is the fifth man to accuse the mayor of sexual abuse.

Murray said he did live with his cousin, Maryellen Sottile, but did not abuse any of her children. The mayor said the latest allegations are a product of years of fighting between the Sottiles and Murrays.

"I guess they see me down and out, and they want to finish me off," Murray said.

Dyer's mother said her son first reported the allegations several months after Murray moved out of her house.

The mayor is currently facing a lawsuit filed by Delvonn Heckard, a 46-year-old man who alleges Murray molested him in the 1980s when he was a troubled, drug-addicted teen.

Three other men have levied similar accusations. One of the men, Jeff Simpson, says Murray abused him while he lived at Murray's home as his foster son. Simpson was removed from Murray's home, and the Oregon Child Protective Services recommended Murray should no longer be a foster parent after they confirmed the legitimacy of Simpson's claims.

Murray abandoned his re-election bid in May as a result of the abuse scandal. Now, the allegations have forced him from city hall.

"While the allegations against me are not true, it is important that my personal issues do not affect the ability of our city government to conduct the public's business," the mayor said in a statement released Tuesday.

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